Reflections of Perfection
by drama fixated
Summary: She never imagined it would hurt this much. [Harry x Hermione]


1**Title:** Reflections of Perfection

**Summary: **She never imagined it would hurt this much.

**Word Count:** 722

**Rating:** PG-13

**Warning:** Let it be known that this fic does not show Ginny in the best light. So if you're a Ginny fan and/or you don't like Harry/Hermione...don't read it. And if the fic sounds weird and/or confusing to you, don't worry - it's meant to be that way. And this also contains spoilers for HBP, so..if you haven't read that yet..obviously don't read this.

**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter isn't mine; he's all Hermione's J.K. Rowling's. The (loosely translated) lyrics "lucky are those who live in love, how strange are those who die in love" comes from the song "Humko Maloom Hai." The song itself comes from the Hindi movie _Jaan-E-Mann_. And the lyrics "most of all, most of all, it's built to last" comes from the song "Built to Last" by Melee (which is an awesome, awesome band you should definitely check out). The only thing I own is this fic. Yep.

**Author's Notes:** Hi all! It's been a while since I've uploaded something. Sorry about that. I'm currently finishing up my senior year of high school (go '07!). I had to take a break from the Internet and stress out about college and stuff. Sounds like fun, no? Anyway, that's all done, and my future's secure...which means that I can write! Yay!

And for those who are wondering about _The Beast and the Unlikely Beauty_, the next chapter will be posted soon. I promise. With that said, enjoy the fic.

This goes out to the one and only **Sandra**, just because. I hope you like this.

This takes place during and after HBP, if that makes any sense. You'll see what I mean..

**- - -**

**lucky are those who live in love, how strange are those who die in love.**

She never imagined it would hurt this much. _I'm freezing_. _Turning cold on the inside_.

They look so _perfect_ together.

So perfect, so wrong, so beautiful, so deceiving. _It's a bloody broken fairy tale._

She sees the adoring looks they share, the small smiles they cover behind their hands. They're in their own world, one that no one cannot enter or understand except for the two of them.

His ideal girl, everyone whispers. Don't they look absolutely _perfect_ together? I wish I had something like that. It's just like a fairy tale! She's the damsel in distress and he's her knight in shining armor.

She can't believe her ears. That title doesn't fit him. He's clumsy, shy, awkward, unsure - the unlikely hero.

(It's enough to make her want to vomit.)

_There's a price to pay for perfection_.

**we bleed the same.**

_We're all fools_, she realizes. _We only acknowledge what we __**want**__to see_. (_That is perfection._)

_Never the truth._

**hear the bells ringing.**

She feels fake. Wearing a plastic smile, she stands near them - _I feel like a Barbie doll_. Acting is all she can do right now. Only for him, only for him. His happiness is her happiness. _If you're happy_, _I'm happy_.

All lies. _I can't even be honest with myself._

**our story is grand.**

_She wanted to be with him_._ That was her ambition_._ And she got him_.

_That is the cost of desire; what you want will never be enough_._ You will always want moremoremore_.

_She wants more than just his name and fame_.

_I want the glory_._ I want to be known_,_ to hear my name shouted from everyone's mouths_._ I want to be loved_._ I want to be important. I want to __**feel **__important_._ I want everything_.(She told me that once.)

_Was she being honest then?_

**maybe love is just a requiem for the soul.**

_Can you afford to deceive yourself that easily?_ She can't help wondering.

(_It's so easy to lie to ourselves_.)

It's possible. They've all had enough experience. (Lying comes easy with time.)

She wishes she knew.

Maybe then it wouldn't hurt so much.

**rinse, repeat. **

He wishes he could see her smile. He needs some reassurance that this is right, that _being _like this, that feeling _like your heart's about to explode any moment _is more than fine.

_This is real_, _this is good_.

He takes his eyes off of _her_ for a minute - his green orbs scan the crowds, wanting to catch a glimpse of brown bushy hair, anything. Finally he finds his target.

Her heart stops when their eyes meet. When he smiles at her it hurts even more.

She looks away.

_Save yourself while you still can_.

**it's been a long time coming.**

_Is he too afraid to take a chance? _She sees the look on his face and can feel her heart breaking slowly.

_He can't afford to_. _He can't lose everything again_. This realization only makes her more determined to fight. _So in the end he can be saved from himself_._ From the darkness that's trying to consume him_.

(The fairy tale didn't end with a happily ever after - only in heartbreak and tears.)

_Most of all, most of all, it's built to last._

She sits next to him and takes his hand._For once, let me save you_. _Let me be the strong one_.

I can't be a surrogate Dumbledore, but know that I'll be here right next to you. By your side, where I've always been. She says quietly. I am not going to let you go through this alone.

He holds her hand tightly. An unspoken thank you. She squeezes back.

He needs her more than ever now.

**we never stop living.**

A year later. She grew up a long time ago.

_Are we really innocent when we're young?_

They are no longer naïve and foolish. Innocence comes with a price, they've learned. _There's always a price to pay for everything_. _Especially perfection_. She has closed her heart to everything else except him; he's all she knows now. She drinks him in and breathes him out.

She can feel herself becoming alive again. She's coming back to life after so many months of being dead.

_I'm burning_.


End file.
